Content Acess Tree

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for visualizing, manipulating and encoding video stream data via a hierarchical format in a graphical user interface where at least one segment reduced image represents a sequential portion of a video stream, each segment having at least one scene, at least one scene reduced image representing a scene in each segment, each scene having at least one frame, and displaying at least one frame reduced image, each frame reduced image representing a frame in the scene. The system and method further include displaying buttons allowing a user to encode at least a portion of the video stream. In this system, at least one segment is an active segment, and the scenes displayed are part of the active segment. Additionally, one scene is an active scene, and the frames displayed are part of the active scene.

1 . A system for processing video stream data via a hierarchical format in a graphical user interface, the hierarchical format comprising
 at least one segment reduced image representing a sequential portion of a video stream, each segment having at least one scene;   at least one scene reduced image representing a scene in each segment, each scene having at least one frame;   at least one frame reduced image representing a frame in the scene; and   an interactive user interface displaying at least one segment reduced image, at least one scene reduced image, and at least one frame reduced image, wherein at least one segment is designated as an active segment, such that the scenes displayed are part of the active segment, and wherein one scene is designated as an active scene, and the frames displayed are part of the active scene.   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one segment reduced image is selectable to select the active segment and where selection of a segment reduced image permits a user to view the at least one scene of the active segment. 
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the system further comprises a visual element indicating the active segment. 
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one scene reduced image is user selectable to select the active scene and to permit a user to view the at least one frame of the active scene. 
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the system further comprises a visual element indicating the active scene. 
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one histogram, each histogram being associated with each displayed frame reduced image, each histogram representing at least one property of the associated frame. 
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one button for allowing a user to encode at least one scene of the video stream. 
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the reduced images display the encoded video streams, the system further comprising at least one button for re-encoding at least one scene of the video stream. 
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising visual elements representing scene markers, wherein the scene markers ( 602 ) are user selectable to determine the frames comprising a scene. 
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one category, each category comprised of at least one scene, wherein the scenes comprising the category are user selectable. 
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one category may be encoded at the selection of the user, the scenes comprising a selected category being individually encoded. 
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a timeline, wherein the active segment may be selected with the timeline, wherein the active scene is selectable using the timeline. 
   
   
       13 . A system for processing video stream data via a hierarchical format in a graphical user interface, the hierarchical format comprising:
 at least one class reduced image representing a plurality of scenes from of a video stream, the at least one class reduced image including an associated information bar and being user selectable to be active;   at least one scene reduced image representing a scene in a class, each scene having at least one frame and an associated information bar and being user selectable to be active, the at least one scene reduced image comprising the active class;   at least one frame reduced image, each frame reduced image representing a frame in a scene and having an associated information bar and an associated frame information marker, the at least one frame reduced image comprising the active scene; and   at least one encoding button allowing a user to encode at least a portion of the video stream; and   an interactive user interface for displaying at least one class reduced image, at least one scene reduced image, at least one frame reduced image, and at least one encoding button, wherein a segment is designated as an active segment, such that the scenes displayed comprise the active segment, and wherein one scene is designated as an active scene, and the frames displayed comprise the active scene.   
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 13  wherein said information bar displays the frame number and frame time of the associated reduced image. 
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein each information bar associated with a class displays class information regarding the associated class. 
   
   
       16 . A method for processing video stream data via a hierarchical format in a graphical user interface, the method comprising:
 displaying at least one scene reduced image representing a scene, each scene having at least one frame;   displaying at least one frame reduced image, each frame reduced image representing a frame in the scene; and   displaying at least one category, the category being comprised of at least one scene; and   displaying an interactive user interface, at least one scene reduced image, and at least one frame reduced image, wherein one scene is designated as an active scene, and the frames displayed are part of the active scene; and   displaying at least one button permitting the user to encode at least one scene.   
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , the method further comprising displaying at least one segment reduced image representing a segment of a sequential digital image, the segment having at least one scene, wherein each scene displayed is part of a segment. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , the method further comprising:
 loading video stream data;   determining the beginning and ending of each segment automatically; and   determining the beginning and ending of each scene automatically.   
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 displaying a timeline, the timeline representative of the length of at least a portion of video stream data;   permitting a user to determine the displayed at least one scene reduced image and the displayed at least one frame reduced image by selecting a time on the timeline.   
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising displaying at least one button ( 606 ) for allowing the user to encode all scenes within at least one category ( 605 ). 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 16 , further including editing the beginning and ending of each scene manually.